Why Wait for Happiness?

How many times do we hear someone say, "If only I had more money, I'd really be happy", or "When the kids are in school all day and I have more time for myself, I'll be happy"? Then there's "When I finally lose 20 pounds, I'll be happy." How many times have you said similar things yourself?

We seem to have a tendency to postpone happiness until this or that happens. Why? Don't we deserve to be happy now? Of course we do! And we can be. We don't have to wait for anything to experience joy in our lives. It's there for the taking; all we have to do is reach out and grab it.
But too many times we prevent ourselves from doing that. We put conditions on our own happiness. That's pretty foolish, don't you think?

What's wrong with being happy today? Aren't there many, many things in our life now that can make us happy? Can't we feel joy when we see a spectacular sunset? How about when the trees sprout the first buds of spring? What do we feel when we see our family happily gathered around us? Then there is the satisfaction of completing an especially difficult task or one that we procrastinated doing. Doesn't that make you feel good; doesn't it make you happy?

We don't have to wait for life-altering events to find happiness. We can find it in the simple things that surround us every day. Things like our dog meeting us at the door, his whole body wagging in welcome . . . a meal that turned out especially delicious . . . an unexpected card or letter from a friend . . . a sticky jelly kiss from our child or grandchild . . . the warm light in the window when we arrive home from a long, tiring day . . . a loving glance from a special person . . . a warm fire on a cold, snowy night . . . the brilliant fall leaves as they float to the ground . . . the list is endless.

What's that you say? But those are common, everyday things? Yes, they are! And that's where true happiness comes from. That's a lesson we must all learn. Joy and goodness surround us but they do nothing for us if we don't take the time to notice them, to delight in them, and to allow them to fill us with their special powers.

Sure, it would be nice to be thinner, richer, have more time, or whatever our specific wish may be. We should keep working toward those goals if they are important to us. But, we should also take time to enjoy our lives now. We may be fat, poor, and rushed but there is still so much to celebrate. If we're constantly waiting for things to happen before we allow ourselves to be happy, we miss out on so much.

Look around you! Allow yourself to experience the wonderful things in your life today. Let yourself go and feel the blessings you already have. Not only will you develop a much more positive outlook on the world and life, in general, you'll increase your happiness quotient many, many times over.

And, a nice side benefit to your new positive way of thinking is that it will empower you to achieve your goals quicker and more easily.

Don't wait . . . tomorrow is an unknown entity! Embrace the joy that's here waiting for you today!